A fierce backlash from environmental activists erupted this week after former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce cleared a major hurdle toward leading one of the most powerful land agencies in the country.
The U.S. Senate voted 46–45 on Monday to advance Pearce’s nomination to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), putting him on track for final confirmation in the coming days. The procedural vote moves Pearce one step closer to overseeing roughly 245 million acres of federal land nationwide — including more than 13 million acres in New Mexico.
The advancement immediately triggered outrage from left-wing environmental groups, who have long opposed Pearce due to his record supporting energy development and pushing back against federal land restrictions.
Pearce, who represented New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2019 and later chaired the state Republican Party, has been a consistent advocate for domestic energy production and local control of land use. Before entering Congress, he founded an oil and gas company in southern New Mexico — experience that supporters say makes him uniquely qualified to manage public lands tied to energy, grazing, and economic activity.
But leftists are openly furious.
“The test of a BLM director is whether they will steward public lands for the benefit of all Americans,” said Dan Ritzman of the Sierra Club. “Steve Pearce has consistently failed that test… he thinks the primary benefits of our natural heritage should go to corporations and billionaires and not the American people.”
Pearce’s nomination comes as President Donald Trump moves aggressively to expand domestic energy production and roll back federal land restrictions that have limited development. The administration has already begun undoing policies from prior years, including the recent cancellation of the so-called “Public Land Rule,” which required equal weighting between conservation and resource extraction.
That shift signals a broader policy direction — one that Pearce would help implement if confirmed.
Democrats, including New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, have also voiced opposition, pointing to Pearce’s past support for reducing national monument designations and opening federal lands to development.
Heinrich said he “cannot ignore” Pearce’s record, arguing it “remain[s] in the memory of every New Mexican who faced his opposition in order to protect the lands they cherish.”
Still, despite the backlash, Pearce’s nomination is moving forward — and likely headed toward approval.
The Senate bundled his advancement with dozens of other nominees in a single vote, part of a streamlined process that confused some media outlets and activists, who prematurely claimed Pearce had already been confirmed. A final confirmation vote is expected soon.
Even some Democrats acknowledge the path ahead is clear.
A spokesperson for Sen. Ben Ray Luján indicated Pearce’s confirmation will “most likely” come through the same en bloc voting process used to advance his nomination.
Meanwhile, the reaction from activist groups underscores just how high the stakes are.
Pearce has been labeled “one of the most contentious nominees” in the package by left-wingers — not because of a lack of qualifications, but because of what his leadership represents: a shift away from federal land grabs and toward expanded use for energy, agriculture, and economic growth.
I’m a conservative but I don’t want to see our public lands used for resources extraction. The greatest thing about America is our public lands. “Conservation” should be a recognized use of public lands. Where will we go to get away from development and pollution, if our public lands are turned over to the extractive industries? And what about the wildlife that was living on the continent for millennia before the first humans came here? They have a right to space and clean land.